Post by Kazl Li-Yun on Jul 26, 2007 15:17:27 GMT
Origin
Based on the Chinese text of Jeong Jeong's wanted poster, the word "Firebending" is written as ÖÆ»ð–X, roughly translated as "The Method of Controlling Fire".
Although it has not been revealed as to what originally led the first Firebenders to learn the power to manipulate fire, the rogue Firebending Master Jeong Jeong stated that the sun is the greatest source of fire in the world, hinting that Firebenders learned Firebending from the sun, as the Waterbenders (The opposing Bending art) learned from the moon.
A solar eclipse has the potential to completely negate a Firebender's power, revealing a direct connection between the sun and a Firebenders power. Additionally, while battling with Katara during The Siege of the North, Zuko stated that "you rise with the moon, I rise with the sun," further emphasizing the sun's importance to Firebending.
The dragons of the Avatar world may have also have had an influence, as Iroh's unique aptitude for breathing fire earned him the title "Dragon of the West," implying a connection between the technique and the creature.
Fighting style
Firebending moves are based mainly the style of Northern Shaolin kung fu, but with a few techniques from Northern Seven Star Praying Mantis. These martial arts feature quick, successive, ferocious attacks that evoke the uncompromising danger of fire, best suited for a practitioner with high quality agility, flexibility, speed and endurance. Unlike other bending disciplines, firebending has few defensive moves aside from blocking and dodging, although master firebenders are able to create walls of fire to absorb incoming attacks.
Firebending uses concentrated barrages of fire to overwhelm opponents before striking a fatal blow. Swift, whirling kicks and punches generate diverse shapes for offensive attacks. Jabs and punches produce miniature fireballs and missiles of flame, and spinning kicks create blazing rings and arcs. Other moves include shooting jets of fire from the fingertips, creating daggers of flame, fiery lashes, and creating whirling disks of flame. Firebenders can also control the size of their flame. Firebenders use their internal body heat as a source of their bending to create fire. This facet of Firebending is in sharp contrast to the other bending arts, which manipulate already present representations of their element.
Firebenders can control the intensity of their Firebending, reflected in the color of the flames. Master Firebenders are skilled enough to create highly-efficient flames that look blue or light blue, with red and orange flames representing lesser forms of Firebending. So far, only Azula has demonstrated blue and light blue firebending (not to be confused with lightning).[3]After contact with flammable items, blue fire reverts to a less intense state and changes to a red and orange color as it begins to cool down and burn normally. Blue fire also seems to possess more physical force and produce a concussive effect not seen with normal fire.
Avatar Level Firebenders are capable of erupting volcanoes at will and manipulating lava and magma flows.
Firebending is the most aggressive of the four bending arts. It is enhanced during the day, due to its solar sympathy. With Sozin's comet, Firebending is apparently greatly enhanced.
Firebending is the opposing bending art to Waterbending. Like all of the bending arts, Firebending is balanced out as to not be more or less powerful than the other arts. The series has repeatedly illustrated that it's the skill and prowess of the user that determines victory.
Styles
The fictional art of firebending overall draws heir from three ancient martial arts, each with their own separate moves and varying results.
Xing Yi - This style uses a combination of five elemental fist attacks and 10 ¨C 12 animal imitation forms.
Southern Dragon Claw - Mirroring a dragon swooping down on it prey, the form contains close-range techniques for seizing and holding.
Northern Shaolin - This can be any number of fighting styles related to (but not encompassing) Long Fist boxing.
Weapons
Firebenders sometimes incorporate weapons into Firebending, as shown by Zuko's utilization of Firebending in conjunction with his broad swords. It is unknown what, if any, other weapons can be used with firebending.
Special techniques
Blue fire
Blue firebending is a powerful technique which as of yet has been expressed solely by the prodigious Princess Azula. Blue fire would naturally appear to be much hotter than normal red and orange flames but also seems to retain greater concussive force. Utilizing blue fire, a Firebender is enabled to pulverize solid rock with compact fireballs and can cleanly slice or pierce through various other solid objects with fiery wisps.
Breath of fire
Resembling a dragon breathing out flames, the breath of fire is a technique that involves the user firebending out of his or her mouth. The breath of fire has been exhibited by multiple individuals, including Fire Lord Ozai, Iroh, Prince Zuko, and Aang while in the Avatar State within a dream. It was the employment of this firebending style in the midst of battle that earned war veteran Iroh his nickname, "The Dragon of the West," and it is alluded that it was from his uncle where Zuko learned how to use his own breath of fire. With its wide, encompassing range of fire, the technique allows for staving off multiple opponents and is also shown to be able to instantaneously warm the body even under extremely cold temperatures.
According to director audio commentary, the "breath of fire" is inspired by an actual Kundalini yoga move called Agni-Prasana, where the oxygen is pulled in and pumped out very rhythmically like pumping bellows. The process is powered by abdominal contractions and used to cleanse and energize the body.
Lightning
Each of the four bending disciplines contain a special sub-skill unique only to certain members of each element. Also known as "the cold-blooded fire", certain powerful Firebenders are able to generate and manipulate lightning. Mentally, it involves a complete absence of emotion and peace of mind, and physically it requires separating the energies of yin and yang (also an interpretation of positive and negative electric charge). When the forces collide, the bender only guides, rather than controls, the lightning's direction. Because of this complexity, a lightning attack takes much longer to initiate than standard fire attacks.
Generating lightning involves a circular motion with the arms. Only a select few have this power; so far the only Firebenders in the series who have demonstrated the ability to actively generate lightning are Azula and Iroh. Iroh, in a technique developed after observing the energy re-directing techniques of Waterbending, is able to redirect the course of lightning strikes by absorbing it through one arm, guiding it through his stomach, and out his other arm. Zuko has expressed a desire to learn these abilities, but his emotional turmoil is preventing him from successfully creating lightning.
Re-directing lightning was first demonstrated by Iroh in "The Storm." Creating Lightning was first demonstrated by Azula in "The Avatar State." In "Bitter Work", Iroh teaches Zuko how to redirect lightning, but he refuses to let Zuko practice this technique with real lightning.
Weaknesses
It is said that true Firebending power comes not from physical size nor strength, but rather from the very control of one's breath. Firebender discipline stresses self-control and breath control as a means of directing and containing the fire manifested. Poor breath control means dangerously poor control of any fire generated. For this reason, breathing exercises are one of the most critical first steps for beginning Firebenders.
The main weaknesses behind the art of Firebending are its confrontational nature and its connection to the sun. Due to its aggressive nature, it traditionally lacks defensive techiques, which can leave a bender considerably vulnerable to attacks. Its connection to the sun results in a lessening of strength during the night, and a complete loss of Firebending ability during a solar eclipse (see below). Additionally, Firebenders require stability and balance in their lower body, and are vulnerable to attacks when off-balance, which Zuko demonstrated by breaking Admiral Zhao's root while fighting. Other circumstances that can damper a Firebender's power include darkness, a full moon, being underwater, and being in the rain.
Elemental symbol
The symbol for fire and firebending is a stylized, tulip-shaped flame forked into three tongues that curve outward like flower petals, with a spiral at the base. The symbol is featured in connection with Fire Nation spirituality.
Spirituality and Firebending[/u]
Approximately 100 years before the start of the series, Fire Lord Sozin launched a genocidal attack on the Air Nomads, succeeding in part due to the power granted him by a passing comet. Over the course of a century, the war has continued, and under the rule of Sozin's grandson, Fire Lord Ozai, the Fire Nation will see the return of "Sozin's Comet." As prophesied, this comet's immense energy will grant Ozai the power to conquer the entire world. The only threat to Ozai's campaign is the current Avatar, Aang. If Aang fails to master all four elements and stop Ozai before Sozin's Comet returns, the Fire Lord will be unstoppable regardless of the Avatar's influence.
The Fire Nation's religious clerics, the Fire Sages, once served Avatar Roku, but now tacitly endorse the imperialist war. Shyu is shown as the only Fire Sage to remain true to his allegiance to the Avatar, a trait he inherits from his father and grandfather.
Firebending in itself is not totally devoted to unleashing the power of fire on opponents, a facet that many apprentice Firebenders mistakenly assume. In actuality, the focus is placed upon balance. The art of firebending hinges on inner calm, discipline, and emotional stability. Without proper mastery of these vital qualities, taking on the art would be both imprudent as well as dangerous.
A Firebender's powers seem to increase during the day in the presence of the sun. Because of this solar sympathy, their powers are weakened at night and, as revealed in "The Library," a solar eclipse can temporarily negate their powers entirely, much like Waterbenders' powers are negated during a lunar eclipse. Aside from their main power source, the sun, Firebenders also draw their energy from other heat sources, including volcanic activity, lightning, the earth's core, and passing comets. A firebender's power is intensified in warmer climates and is at its peak when situated near their native equatorial homelands during the summer.
Agni Kai
Among Firebenders, or at least those of the upper-class, disputes of honor are settled by a challenge to an Agni Kai, or "fire duel", a traditional Firebender duel that is centuries old. Such a duel is conducted in an open-air arena, and may be witnessed by spectators. Combatants fight bare-chested (at least those of the male variety), and barefooted. The goal in these duels is to knock an opponent off-balance, and incapacitate (fatally or otherwise) with a final blow. The favored finishing move seems to be a direct fire blast to the face.
The word Agni Kai was created by using two already existing words. Agni is the Hindu god of fire. Kai is the japanese word for meeting (usually business, but it can also mean a general meeting of two or more people).
Based on the Chinese text of Jeong Jeong's wanted poster, the word "Firebending" is written as ÖÆ»ð–X, roughly translated as "The Method of Controlling Fire".
Although it has not been revealed as to what originally led the first Firebenders to learn the power to manipulate fire, the rogue Firebending Master Jeong Jeong stated that the sun is the greatest source of fire in the world, hinting that Firebenders learned Firebending from the sun, as the Waterbenders (The opposing Bending art) learned from the moon.
A solar eclipse has the potential to completely negate a Firebender's power, revealing a direct connection between the sun and a Firebenders power. Additionally, while battling with Katara during The Siege of the North, Zuko stated that "you rise with the moon, I rise with the sun," further emphasizing the sun's importance to Firebending.
The dragons of the Avatar world may have also have had an influence, as Iroh's unique aptitude for breathing fire earned him the title "Dragon of the West," implying a connection between the technique and the creature.
Fighting style
Firebending moves are based mainly the style of Northern Shaolin kung fu, but with a few techniques from Northern Seven Star Praying Mantis. These martial arts feature quick, successive, ferocious attacks that evoke the uncompromising danger of fire, best suited for a practitioner with high quality agility, flexibility, speed and endurance. Unlike other bending disciplines, firebending has few defensive moves aside from blocking and dodging, although master firebenders are able to create walls of fire to absorb incoming attacks.
Firebending uses concentrated barrages of fire to overwhelm opponents before striking a fatal blow. Swift, whirling kicks and punches generate diverse shapes for offensive attacks. Jabs and punches produce miniature fireballs and missiles of flame, and spinning kicks create blazing rings and arcs. Other moves include shooting jets of fire from the fingertips, creating daggers of flame, fiery lashes, and creating whirling disks of flame. Firebenders can also control the size of their flame. Firebenders use their internal body heat as a source of their bending to create fire. This facet of Firebending is in sharp contrast to the other bending arts, which manipulate already present representations of their element.
Firebenders can control the intensity of their Firebending, reflected in the color of the flames. Master Firebenders are skilled enough to create highly-efficient flames that look blue or light blue, with red and orange flames representing lesser forms of Firebending. So far, only Azula has demonstrated blue and light blue firebending (not to be confused with lightning).[3]After contact with flammable items, blue fire reverts to a less intense state and changes to a red and orange color as it begins to cool down and burn normally. Blue fire also seems to possess more physical force and produce a concussive effect not seen with normal fire.
Avatar Level Firebenders are capable of erupting volcanoes at will and manipulating lava and magma flows.
Firebending is the most aggressive of the four bending arts. It is enhanced during the day, due to its solar sympathy. With Sozin's comet, Firebending is apparently greatly enhanced.
Firebending is the opposing bending art to Waterbending. Like all of the bending arts, Firebending is balanced out as to not be more or less powerful than the other arts. The series has repeatedly illustrated that it's the skill and prowess of the user that determines victory.
Styles
The fictional art of firebending overall draws heir from three ancient martial arts, each with their own separate moves and varying results.
Xing Yi - This style uses a combination of five elemental fist attacks and 10 ¨C 12 animal imitation forms.
Southern Dragon Claw - Mirroring a dragon swooping down on it prey, the form contains close-range techniques for seizing and holding.
Northern Shaolin - This can be any number of fighting styles related to (but not encompassing) Long Fist boxing.
Weapons
Firebenders sometimes incorporate weapons into Firebending, as shown by Zuko's utilization of Firebending in conjunction with his broad swords. It is unknown what, if any, other weapons can be used with firebending.
Special techniques
Blue fire
Blue firebending is a powerful technique which as of yet has been expressed solely by the prodigious Princess Azula. Blue fire would naturally appear to be much hotter than normal red and orange flames but also seems to retain greater concussive force. Utilizing blue fire, a Firebender is enabled to pulverize solid rock with compact fireballs and can cleanly slice or pierce through various other solid objects with fiery wisps.
Breath of fire
Resembling a dragon breathing out flames, the breath of fire is a technique that involves the user firebending out of his or her mouth. The breath of fire has been exhibited by multiple individuals, including Fire Lord Ozai, Iroh, Prince Zuko, and Aang while in the Avatar State within a dream. It was the employment of this firebending style in the midst of battle that earned war veteran Iroh his nickname, "The Dragon of the West," and it is alluded that it was from his uncle where Zuko learned how to use his own breath of fire. With its wide, encompassing range of fire, the technique allows for staving off multiple opponents and is also shown to be able to instantaneously warm the body even under extremely cold temperatures.
According to director audio commentary, the "breath of fire" is inspired by an actual Kundalini yoga move called Agni-Prasana, where the oxygen is pulled in and pumped out very rhythmically like pumping bellows. The process is powered by abdominal contractions and used to cleanse and energize the body.
Lightning
Each of the four bending disciplines contain a special sub-skill unique only to certain members of each element. Also known as "the cold-blooded fire", certain powerful Firebenders are able to generate and manipulate lightning. Mentally, it involves a complete absence of emotion and peace of mind, and physically it requires separating the energies of yin and yang (also an interpretation of positive and negative electric charge). When the forces collide, the bender only guides, rather than controls, the lightning's direction. Because of this complexity, a lightning attack takes much longer to initiate than standard fire attacks.
Generating lightning involves a circular motion with the arms. Only a select few have this power; so far the only Firebenders in the series who have demonstrated the ability to actively generate lightning are Azula and Iroh. Iroh, in a technique developed after observing the energy re-directing techniques of Waterbending, is able to redirect the course of lightning strikes by absorbing it through one arm, guiding it through his stomach, and out his other arm. Zuko has expressed a desire to learn these abilities, but his emotional turmoil is preventing him from successfully creating lightning.
Re-directing lightning was first demonstrated by Iroh in "The Storm." Creating Lightning was first demonstrated by Azula in "The Avatar State." In "Bitter Work", Iroh teaches Zuko how to redirect lightning, but he refuses to let Zuko practice this technique with real lightning.
Weaknesses
It is said that true Firebending power comes not from physical size nor strength, but rather from the very control of one's breath. Firebender discipline stresses self-control and breath control as a means of directing and containing the fire manifested. Poor breath control means dangerously poor control of any fire generated. For this reason, breathing exercises are one of the most critical first steps for beginning Firebenders.
The main weaknesses behind the art of Firebending are its confrontational nature and its connection to the sun. Due to its aggressive nature, it traditionally lacks defensive techiques, which can leave a bender considerably vulnerable to attacks. Its connection to the sun results in a lessening of strength during the night, and a complete loss of Firebending ability during a solar eclipse (see below). Additionally, Firebenders require stability and balance in their lower body, and are vulnerable to attacks when off-balance, which Zuko demonstrated by breaking Admiral Zhao's root while fighting. Other circumstances that can damper a Firebender's power include darkness, a full moon, being underwater, and being in the rain.
Elemental symbol
The symbol for fire and firebending is a stylized, tulip-shaped flame forked into three tongues that curve outward like flower petals, with a spiral at the base. The symbol is featured in connection with Fire Nation spirituality.
Spirituality and Firebending[/u]
Approximately 100 years before the start of the series, Fire Lord Sozin launched a genocidal attack on the Air Nomads, succeeding in part due to the power granted him by a passing comet. Over the course of a century, the war has continued, and under the rule of Sozin's grandson, Fire Lord Ozai, the Fire Nation will see the return of "Sozin's Comet." As prophesied, this comet's immense energy will grant Ozai the power to conquer the entire world. The only threat to Ozai's campaign is the current Avatar, Aang. If Aang fails to master all four elements and stop Ozai before Sozin's Comet returns, the Fire Lord will be unstoppable regardless of the Avatar's influence.
The Fire Nation's religious clerics, the Fire Sages, once served Avatar Roku, but now tacitly endorse the imperialist war. Shyu is shown as the only Fire Sage to remain true to his allegiance to the Avatar, a trait he inherits from his father and grandfather.
Firebending in itself is not totally devoted to unleashing the power of fire on opponents, a facet that many apprentice Firebenders mistakenly assume. In actuality, the focus is placed upon balance. The art of firebending hinges on inner calm, discipline, and emotional stability. Without proper mastery of these vital qualities, taking on the art would be both imprudent as well as dangerous.
A Firebender's powers seem to increase during the day in the presence of the sun. Because of this solar sympathy, their powers are weakened at night and, as revealed in "The Library," a solar eclipse can temporarily negate their powers entirely, much like Waterbenders' powers are negated during a lunar eclipse. Aside from their main power source, the sun, Firebenders also draw their energy from other heat sources, including volcanic activity, lightning, the earth's core, and passing comets. A firebender's power is intensified in warmer climates and is at its peak when situated near their native equatorial homelands during the summer.
Agni Kai
Among Firebenders, or at least those of the upper-class, disputes of honor are settled by a challenge to an Agni Kai, or "fire duel", a traditional Firebender duel that is centuries old. Such a duel is conducted in an open-air arena, and may be witnessed by spectators. Combatants fight bare-chested (at least those of the male variety), and barefooted. The goal in these duels is to knock an opponent off-balance, and incapacitate (fatally or otherwise) with a final blow. The favored finishing move seems to be a direct fire blast to the face.
The word Agni Kai was created by using two already existing words. Agni is the Hindu god of fire. Kai is the japanese word for meeting (usually business, but it can also mean a general meeting of two or more people).
